The death of the critically endangered Rüppell’s vulture has revived cooperation between environmental authorities in Morocco and Gibraltar.
The vulture, monitored by a GPS transmitter as part of Morocco’s conservation efforts, was found dead in Gibraltar.
The Gibraltar Environmental Protection and Research Unit (EPRU) recovered the body and transferred the tracking device to the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS), a non-governmental organization working to protect endangered species.
Following the incident, GONHS Secretary General Keith Bensouane contacted Rachid Khamlichi, Director of the Jebel Moussa Vulture Rehabilitation Centre in Morocco.
Gibraltar’s Minister of the Environment, John Curtis, also asked his ministry to collaborate with the Gibraltar Morocco Business Association (GMBA).
The transmitter was finally returned to Mounir Asrar, head of the regional forestry development department of Morocco’s National Water and Forestry Agency (ANEF) in Tangier.
Local Gibraltar media reported that new conservation projects are currently being prepared to strengthen ties between Moroccan and Gibraltarian institutions.
These initiatives include organizing reciprocal visits across the Mediterranean to promote research on bird migration and improve conservation efforts for the species.
The Rüppell’s vulture, native to sub-Saharan Africa, faces numerous threats during its long migratory journeys. With only a few thousand individuals remaining in the wild, each individual is vital to the species’ survival, making international cooperation crucial.
This renewed partnership comes amid broader calls for transboundary action to combat biodiversity loss.
By fostering collaboration between NGOs, government agencies, and the scientific community, Morocco and Gibraltar aim to deepen conservation efforts and serve as a model for the protection of endangered species in their shared ecological corridors.
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